Shouldn't love conquer all?
by D-Rogue
Summary: "Protecting you and Soul was my job as a weapon. There's nothing to feel guilty about." Rin's hand slid down and she passed by, entering her room. Tears burnt in Maka's eyes and slid down her cheeks. Soul touched her shoulder, she leaned against him. R
1. Introduction and Prologue

Hey there!

Ehm, first off: thx for having a look in here.

2nd: You should read Chapter One too, since this prologue is so short, it won't give you any ideas about the story and my writing style.

3rd: Since there's only so tiny space for a summary, here a good one goes:

I made a new chara, Rin Sōma, who you'll get to know throughout the story, be prepared for depression, tears and cruelty. Yet, it'll be her fault that Soul and Maka become a couple, that's why I make this a SoulxMaka Story, rated M for later chapters (can't get anything done without lime or lemon). Maybe I'll have a little Black*StarxTsubaki in this, too, but don't know yet. Ehm, I definitively gonna spill a little bit blood around in here, too, but I'll focus on the relationships.

Sooooo, if you're interested now, go on ahead. It's not much yet and I don't know how fast I will be writing everything down that's going on inside my twisted mind, since I still have to do assignments and study for classes. Nevertheless, I hope you'll have fun reading this and leave me some reviews so I know what you think of it.

Ah, I almost forgot: Of course I don't own Soul Eater. If I did, I'd have Black*Star either mature or die, since he's so damn loud... ~.~

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_**Character Introduction**_

Name: Sōma, Rin

Age: 15

Blood type: A

Category: supporting tool/weapon

Hair: white with bluish touch, makes it look like ice; braided to the front over her right shoulder

Eyes: sea green

Features: a thin scar is splitting her left eyebrow

Clothing: sluggish wide, white sweater with generous V-neck; dark blue bikini top which is tied in the neck and always shows trough the sweater; baggy white-lightblue-darkblue camouflage pants with a white belt; some dark blue or white high heels, depending on her mood

Special Skills: can conjoin with other weapons, amplifying their power and taking their shape; can spread wings as a shield; can absorb human souls when touching the body in the moment of their death, combining those souls with her own, adapting some random skills from them

Partner: † Red Raven, † Jun Sōma; Maka Albarn, Soul Eater; ?

Character Song: _Ichiban no takaramono_ (not Yui version!) by Girls Dead Monster from the Anime Angel Beats!

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_**Prologue**_

The Grim Reaper looked into his mirror, watching Soul Eater and his meister Maka Albarn, as well as the weapon Rin Sōma.

"I still don't get why she had to come with us," Soul complained.

"You really need to listen more carefully, Soul," Maka replied. "She's here because she knows how to fight this guy."

"Jona Quinn, eh? Can't believe he's that dangerous... Still, what help will she be if she doesn't even have a meister? A weapon can't wield itself. Tsh, what is the Reaper thinking?"

"Did you actually forget? She's not a normal weapon. Just like Tsubaki, she's got more than one shape. Yet, I can't wield two weapons at the same time, and anything other then a scythe would be difficult.. But there must be more to it. The Reaper always has good reasons for his decisions."

"So we'll just wait and see, eh?"

"Right."

Rin, flying with her night-blue, bat-like wings way above their heads, thus unable to follow their conversation, now lowered her altitude and said, "We're getting close. Speed up a little if you can."

Soul kicked his motorcycle, causing Maka to tighten her grip around his waist. Up ahead of them, a creature no longer a human appeared in sight, a deformed body with four legs and six arms wrapped in blood-drenched bandages. A red and a gray eye staring in their direction, waiting.

_So he's already awaiting them... Did he sense their souls from that far away?_, the Reaper thought, getting a little worried for his young students.


	2. Chapter One

_**Chapter One  
**_

Soul stopped the motorcycle about ten meters away from Jona. He turned off the engine while Maka jumped off the back and Rin landed swiftly beside them, her wings vanishing into sapphire smoke as soon as one of her feet touched the ground.

"Soul-san, Maka-san... Be on guard at all times. He'll find a weakness in your teamwork even if it is only tiny – and he'll use it for his advantage. He can see souls at a Three Star Level, don't take him lightly."

"Na, na, Sōma-san," Jona complained in a deep, growling, threatening voice, "You're giving me away, that ain't very nice."

Rin did not even flinch. "I'll use every means necessary to keep you from obtaining even one more soul."

"Tsh, aren't we angry? Now, what might be the reason?" His tone became teasing.

Maka glanced from one to the other, Soul simply asked angrily, "Hey, what's going on here?"

"Ah, looks like I've done it, eh, Sōma-san? Now, will you answer them? I bet they already wonder where you left your meister."

Rin clenched her fists and kept silent, her eyes locked to the ground.

"Yeah, I wonder myself. Where might your meister be? What was his name again, Red Raven-san, wasn't it? Yes, and your brother's... was Jun, right? Eh, Sōma-san, why won't you help me remember correctly?"

Rin's knuckles became pale from the force she used to keep herself under control. "Shove it, Jona. I dare you speak their names again," she replied, her jaw clenched with strain just like her fists.

Jona's grin was madly evil while he was watching Rin's soul waves going wild inside of her. She still held her gaze locked to the ground, unsure what would happen if she raised her head to look at him. Her self-control would probably go straight to hell.

Maka decided to interfere. She looked at Jona's different colored eyes, her glance relentless. She remembered those names very well. Red and his weapon Jun were the most promising pair among their age group at Shibusen to reach Third Star Level. They were two years older then herself and Soul, strong, smart, and handsome. She asked, "Red Raven-san.. and Jun Sōma-san... What did you do to them?"

"Do? Me? I wonder... What did I do? Ah, that's right, I remember..." Jona's smile distorted into a grotesque face of evil and madness as he paused for a moment. "I killed them."

Maka's and Soul's eyes widened in shock. Neither of them had heard of this incident.

"That's right... and I let this pathetic copy of a weapon get away alive so that she'll never forget how she failed to protect them. The longer I think about it, the clearer I remember..."

_-Flashback-_

Jona hit Red Raven hard right on the chest. The young meister was crushed against an iron pillar, both his swords slipped out his hands and transformed back into Jun and Rin Sōma.

Rin helped him sit up. "Are you all right, Red-kun?" Her face showed worry when her eyes measured the severeness of his wounds.

"We don't have time for this, Rin. If we don't keep attacking, if he gets only a little time to recover, we won't be able to take his soul," Jun reminded his younger sister. "He's been worse, so there's nothing to worry about."

Rin exchanged a glance with her meister who nodded. "I'm fine, just give me a minute to catch my breath."

"Understood." She transformed back into a sword, landing swiftly in her brother's hand.

"Here we go." Jun smirked and charged at Jona with full speed, aiming for one of his right arms. They had already chopped off two of his legs and three of his arms – four times. Jona was regenerating them within a few minutes they stopped charging at him, over and over. It felt like there was no end to this fight, since it was lasting for over an hour already. All of them were exhausted, Red more than his weapons because he had fought almost the entire time.

Jona formed the ends of his bandages into speak-like weapons once more, hardening them with his magic. He prepared to block the boy's strike with one arm, then counter with his other arms. _He still doesn't get that he can't lend a hit on me attacking head on. What a fool_, Jona smirked. He blocked, the sound of two blades crashing filled the air for a moment. Yet, as the first of his weapons pierced through the boy's body, it did not feel like cutting through flesh and blood did not flow either. As the rest of his weapons pierced though the body one after another, the boy's outline wavered for a second, then vanished. Jona's eyes widened in disbelief, and at the same moment he felt cold steel slicing off a leg and cutting deep into the next. Before any more damage could be taken in, he redirected his attacks down towards his opponent.

Jun dodged two of the bandages, jumping back a few meters into a 'save' distance. "We're still not out of tricks, you moron. Don't underestimate us!"

"Jun, look!" Rin's voice was echoed since she was in her weapon form, "He's not regenerating anymore."

The young man gave the fresh carved wounds on his opponent a closer look. Unlike before, there was no fresh flesh pulsing out the cuts, only blood dripped. He smirked. "So we're finally getting close to an end here."

"I think so," she replied.

"Then we should just keep at it. Rin, let's go with the claws."

She nodded, then transformed. Three metal claws pierced out of the skin of his forearms on each side, stretching all the way down until they reached an inch over his fingertips. He clenched is jaw tight while she transformed. Even though he was a weapon himself and her elder brother on top of that, it still hurt every time she did this transformation. As usual, a bit of blood was running out the fresh wounds along the blades.

"I hate you doin' that," he hissed.

"Gomen, Nii-san," she replied.

Jun closed and re-opened his fists once to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling which tickled through his fingertips. He had always been wondering how Red didn't even flinch at this pain coming from the inside. "Yeah, just forget that," he growled.

"I think we should aim for his head. If we get it off, I don't think he'll be able to regenerate _that_, especially since he seems to have no energy left for this anyways. What d'you say, Nii-san? I got something in mind, too."

"Damn, Nee-chan, I still can't figure where you got all the brains from... but fine with me."

"Soul Resonance," they said in unison. Their souls drifted together, the wavelengths a perfect match. A blue light surrounded them.

It was rare that they were connected like that. Usually, Red was with them, adding his own, personal touch to their connection. However, it felt good every once in a while. They felt each other's heartbeats and breaths perfectly synced while Rin's plan filled Jun's head without them exchanging words or particular thoughts in any way.

Jun smirked. "You know me way too well, Nee-chan."

Her soul wavered from laughter for a moment. "Guess you can say that."

"Alright. Let's do this." Jun charged at Jona anew, using the same technique as in his last attack. He aimed for Jona's left arms.

"Don't think I'll fall for that trick again," Juna exclaimed, using his six arms to cover up several position where his opponent might reappear.

Unfortunately for Jona, the sibling's Soul Resonance had more then doubled the boy's speed, enabling him to create four images of himself. Jun managed to cut deeply in two of his opponent's bandaged arms while dodging his counterattacks. Yet, his main target was to slice Jona's head off from behind. When he approached to strike, Jona was suddenly wrapped in a yellow and red pulsing aura, irritating the weapon.

_ What the.._, Jun thought.

_ Don't hesitate!_, Rin yelled inside his soul.

Too late. He _did_ hesitate, even though it did not even last a full second. Rin reacted the moment she felt his hesitation. She spread the wings – which were one of her special abilities – out of his back, wrapping them around him as a shield. She was not fast enough. The thousand spikes that suddenly shot out of Jona's back, racing towards them, had already pierced Jun's body in numerous places. All that was left to do for her was to retreat.

Rin flapped her wings, gaining height and distance. She felt Jun's heartbeat being erratic. Blood soaked his clothes and dripped out the corners of his mouth. She felt his pain too, though their souls were still in resonance. He was barely still conscious.

Red Raven had watched their fight from a distance. Now, he looked into the sky, his eyes fixed on Jun's glazing figure.

Rin let him slowly down right in front of Red's worried gaze, her wings resolving into blue smoke when Red knelt down beside her brother. She transformed back into her human form and knelt at his other side, taking his hand into her own, comforting him. She already knew he was dying. She had felt it while their souls had still been one. He was losing too much blood, and there was still a fight to win before they could even think about attending to his injuries. He would not last that long and they both knew it. "Nii-san," she whispered, her eyes burning with unshed tears.

Jun's breath was rattling in his chest. "Don't look at me like that, Nee-chan." He smirked despite the pain he felt all over his body. Jona's attack had pierced through his liver and lounge, and had gouged a hole right above his heart. He barely felt his limps and his chest was burning.

Red could not stand to look at him. His best friend and partner was _dying_, right in front of him, and there was nothing he could do, not even ease his pain. He felt anger arise within him, anger towards himself. _Why, dammit! Why did this have to happen to him?_ He clenched his fists and punched the ground.

"It's not your fault, Red," Jun said weakly but determined. "Don't you dare even _think_ that." He coughed roughly. More blood.

"You shouldn't talk," Rin stated softly.

"But there's something I need to get off my chest, before..." His voice drifted off and he felt Rin slightly squeeze his hand. "I want you to promise me something, Rin, Red" -they were both looking at him now- "No more secrets in between you two, alright?" He had always felt it. That there was something... unsaid between them. He wanted that settled before he had no longer any influence on the matter. "Promise me."

They gazed at each other. Red found that determination in her eyes he knew so well. Every time push had come to shove, it lit her sea green eyes and pulled them through. She was their last resort of strength – and she had never let them down. "I promise," they answered in unison.

"Good." Jun closed his eyes for a brief moment. "Now, Rin," he continued, raising a hand up to her face where his palm adapted to her cheek and she placed her hand over his, "I feel kinda stupid saying this now, but... I love you, and I regret that I didn't tell you more often." His voice began to fade. He gently brushed his thump over her lips. "I'm sorry."

She slightly shook her head. "There's nothing to feel sorry for. I always knew, even without you telling me. You're my brother, after all."

He smiled. "So I'm forgiven?" His eyelids slowly closed.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "I love you, too."

His hand slid down and hit the ground, lifeless.

_-End of Flashback-_

_

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_A/N: Yeah, I really wanted this chapter done so you can actually get an idea of my style and such and how the story might go on and turn out. So I hurried, but I still wanted it to be perfect. Well, at least close to perfect.

Anyways, I don't know how fast the next chapters will come up, but bare with me if you will, if you like this story just as much as I already do.

Plz review if you read it, even if you didn't like it. Tell me your reasons, I might adjust. No one can accomplish anything if nobody tells them their strengths and weaknesses.


	3. Chapter Two

A/N: Thanks a lot for the patience and thank you, Kumakku, for the comments! Hope you enjoy this next chapter, too!  
And I added Rins character profile to the introduction (if anyone did not notice yet), hope that helps you getting used to her. ;)

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_**Chapter Two**_

Jona grinned madly. "He was so pathetic."

Maka felt anger dwell within her. These creatures.. these kishin eggs that killed only for pleasure. She hated them. From the bottom of her heart, she despised them. For all the fear they raised among humanity, for all the innocent lives they took, for all the injuries they caused to herself and to fellow meisters and weapons, but most of all.. most of all she hated them for all the lost souls within them, the shattered dreams that were forever lost.

She clenched her fists. In her eyes, a grim appeared that she had experienced before, during her fight against Prof Stein and Medusa.

"Don't, Maka," Soul said calmly, suppressing the same anger she struggled with. "Don't let him get to you." _It almost got you killed last time_, he added in his thoughts, and he knew she implied that thought to his sentence all by herself.

"Don't give me that, Soul." She could not... She could not just let this be. "Let's just get this over with."

"Tsh." _She'll never change._ He chuckled, then transformed into his scythe form.

Maka took her stance, the anger still in her eyes.

"Na, did I piss you off?" Jona giggled again. "Ah, and I'm not even done yet. You're still missin' the good part, you know? C'mon, you wanna know, don't ya?"

"Shut up!" Maka yelled and wanted to charge at him.

Rin appeared in her way, stopping her mid-step. "If you fight like this, you're dead meat in no time. You better calm yourself down. If you want to survive, that is. Besides," she looked over her shoulder into the girl's olive eyes, "I'm going in first." She was gone in a flash. Her clothes ripped where the claws shot out her forearms and the axe blades exited front and rear of her lower legs.

As Jona knew her speed, he was not too surprised when she suddenly appeared within his reach, slicing off two of his arms with her very first strike. However, the wounds immediately started to regenerate. He had fed on many souls to obtain enough energy to hold within himself because he knew he would face Shibusen again, sooner or later. "Oh, don't be so harsh! I really want to end my story, you know?"

_What speed..._ Maka and Soul needed a moment to adjust to the fast battle movements. Their anger had vanished due to their surprise. "Alright," Maka grinned, "Let's help her out." She charged.

Jona dodged Maka's first attack without any struggles. _What's she thinking? She'll never cut me with some ordinary scythe._ He hardened his bandages so that Rin's next attack did not cost him another limp as her blade went only halfway into his flesh. At the same time, he countered with his remaining arms.

Rin dodged and carved her claws into the arm that aimed for her. Blood splattered onto her face, its metallic smell itching in her nose.

Maka's next strike hit. The sound of metal crashing on metal jangled in the air. She did not even leave a scratch on Jona. _Damn, what's with this guy?_

"He, Maka," Soul called out to her, "Guess this guy is as strong as she said."

"Yeah," she answered, only half listening while she tried to work out some plan to counter this kishin egg.

"I doubt we'll be getting anywhere without using your wavelength." He meant her specialty, the power she had inherited from her mother – the anti-demonic wavelength. Even her Witch Hunter -an weaker version of her wavelength- more than doubled the power of a regular strike.

"Right." She backed up, leaving Jona to Rin while she focused on herself and Soul. "Soul Resonance." Their souls connected, their wavelengths and heartbeats becoming one. "Traditional Scythe Master Craft: Witch Hunter," she said calmly and the scythe spread a second blade and lit up with the wavelength. Then she charged at Jona again.

Rin had kept Jona busy so he did not notice the rise in power of his second opponent. Now she jumped back, out of Maka's way, so the girl could strike full force. And she did.

The Witch Hunter sliced Jona neatly in half, but he simply used two of his hands as feet while his lower body started to regenerate itself. Seeing the shock on the meisters face, he burst into laughter. He did not feel any pain which was a mayor advantage concerning his regenerating ability. If he would have suffered pain from every cut and every regeneration, it would wear out his mind and soul, drawing the energy he had obtained a lot faster, making him more vulnerable.

Maka bit her lower lip. She knew that Jona was able to regenerate as long as the souls he had eaten supplied him with their energy, but she had not anticipated that he would net even flinch at wounds as large as this. _Damn, Rin warned us that this would take its time. This jobs is more suited to Black*Star. Why is this moron sick in bed __now__?_

"Maka!"

As Soul called out to her, she noticed Jona's attack just in time to dodge.

"What the hell are you dozing off for? Do you wanna get yourself killed?"

"My bad, Soul." She focused her wavelength into a Witch Hunter again. All they could do for now was cutting him up so that he had to use up his energy for regeneration.

_/Later on.../_

They stroke by turns, then changed their pattern to two strikes by Rin and one by Maka and Soul since the Witch Hunter did cost her a lot of energy and already started to tire her out. They had been doing this for almost an hour now, and Jona seemed as lively and healthy as he had been at the beginning of their fight. Maka was sweating and panting hard. She was not used to her fights to last that long, and she felt her concentration crumble.

Maka's mind went blank only for a second, and that's when she was hit by a deflected strike. She did not take any damage, but she was lifted off her feet and sent flying, the scythe sliding out of her hands. Maka hit a wall, a yelp escaping her lips.

Soul transformed back, calling out for his meister as he was mid-air off into another direction, not paying attention to himself and his surroundings. Seconds later, he hit the ground, his head smacking a cobblestone that were lying around everywhere because their fight had destructed the street in several places. He instantly lost consciousness.

Jona saw his chance and aimed for the white-haired boy with three of his arms at once.

Maka coughed and struggled to her feet when she saw the attack. "Soul!" She took a step forward, but she would never make it in time. She would lose him. There was no way he would survive a direct hit to a vital part. Maka wanted to close her eyes shut, but she just stared over to her partner in horror for what was to come. She had totally forgotten that there was one more person to the calculation – Rin.

The weapon girl suddenly appeared in front of Soul, using her incredible speed to get ahead of Jona's arms. She spread her right wing, causing two of the bandages to bound and change directions, each hitting the wall close by. The last one, which came straight towards her, she tried to block with her claws. Yet, it went through, grazing the left side of her neck and the top of her left shoulder. Her blood ran down the hardened bandage while she still used her claws to prevent the strike from reaching the unconscious companion. Luckily, she was successful. The tip of the bandage stopped right before it could pierce the boy's throat. She focused her strength and worked her claws exerted through the steeled flesh, finally tossing the limp aside.

Maka's mind snapped back into her body. She hurried over to her comrades, knelt by Soul's side and shook him, trying to have him regain consciousness.

Jona grinned. "You can't save him, Sōma-san, you know that. I will have his soul, and hers too, it's just a matter of time."

Rin spit some blood to the ground in front of her and shifted her weight, taking a stance. "Over my dead body."

His eyes hardened and lit with blood thirst. "That can be arranged."

She was unable to dodge, she was unable to block. She did not even_ see_ it! The next thing she knew was that she felt almost unbearable pain in her left arm, and her scream echoed through the street. One of Jona's bandages had pierced her left upper arm, close to her shoulder, shattering the bone in this area completely. As Jona pulled it back out, the girl's limp only swung useless at her side. She bit her lower lip until it bled and her right hand instinctively clenched over the wound. She was barely able to stand and the pain seemed to fill her head entirely.

"Rin." Maka gasped the girl's name and flinched as she remembered the moment when Asura wounded her severely on her side.

The weapon panted. Her sight was blurry and she felt weakness shivering inside of her, struggling to take over the exhausted body and put it to sleep. "Focus, Maka-san. You need to wake your partner. We won't make it without him, so you'd better hurry."

_/At the same time at Shibusen.../_

The Grim Reaper frowned. Could they make it? He knew Rin had not shown her true powers yet, since she was not actually a weapon but more of a supportive tool. Just as a weapon amplified a meisters power, she was able to amplify a weapons power instead. Using this unique ability, she is capable to more than quadruplicate the partners' usual power. In addition, even though the girl had a strong character, her soul was highly adaptive. _But will she be able to use her ability now, injured like this?_

The headmaster of Shibusen pushed the thought aside. If he did not think they were strong enough together, he would have never let them go by themselves, or even let them go in the first place. However, as things were now, they would need medical attendance once this fight was over.

He called for Nygus and told her to get ready with everything she might need. By the time she and her team were ready for departure, the fight would probably be over. _It's either that or they're dead.

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_

A/N: In the next chapter you'll get the rest of "Jona's story" and Rins memories in some way, too._  
_


	4. Chapter Three

_**Chapter Three**_

Soul came to after a few moments. He moaned because his head hurt as if there was a hammer mill inside, working full force. Maka's face hovered over his, with a worried look on it. He felt a runlet of warm blood on the left side of his face, trickling down from temple to cheek. He felt Maka's tight grip around one of his shoulders that steadied him as he sat up.

Jona enjoyed the sight. He had won. There was nothing they could do to him now. "Na, how about I continue my story now? I don't feel like finishing you off just yet."

_-Flashback-_

Jun's soul's wavelength dulled as he took his last breath, then suddenly sparked up again, rushing through his body and into Rin's via the sister's kiss. It made her body twitch inside and she gasped at the power she felt.

"What's wrong? Rin?" Red intended to grab her shoulder, but she backed away from him and shook her head.

"Monster," Jona hissed, sudden to the two Shibusen students. He stared intensely at the girl, watching her soul closely because it did something he had never seen before: it changed its color!

Her soul was usually of a light blue, like many others, but now sea green swirls made their way in – the color of her brother's soul. She felt as if her skin was no longer large enough to hold her body in. She yelped when she felt her soul wavering, extending, changing.

At the same time, Jun's body dissolved and Red's eyes widened when it did not leave a soul behind as it should have. He turned back to Rin and concentrated so that he could see the girls' soul.

The pain ceased and Rin opened her eyes again, looking straight into Red's black orbs. She took a second to sort out all the different emotions they displayed: disbelief, confusion, sorrow, loss, anger and... fear. She locked her gaze to the ground and stood up. "I understand. You don't have to team up with me anymore, it's okay. I'll be fine by myself, just like before." That was right. She had been by herself for eleven years of her life, she did not need anyone to help her fight and survive.

A pulse of her wavelength brushed Red's soul. Sadness, loneliness … but also anger and resolve – and no sign of fear. She had always been different from them. No matter how close they might have gotten over the past three years, there were still a lot of things about her that no one would ever reach who has not experienced the same as her. An abyss that will never be straddled by a bridge. He had found himself wondering about this part of her more times then he could count and before he knew it, he had…

She charged at Jona. She felt a power that was almost stunning and that enabled her to kill the monster which just killed her brother. She knew she could do it. She only needed to get close enough once. But Jona dodged all her attacks and kept a distance. He probably knew that he could be finished in one blow now if he was not cautious.

Red struggled with himself. As a Shibusen student, it was his duty to protect human souls and to kill those who took them. _But Rin didn't kill Jun and she didn't exactly eat his soul either and she's the same Rin, too, just a little more … powerful._ He refused to think the word _scary_, because there was absolutely no reason for him to be scared of her power. He had never been before even though she had been a lot more powerful than him and Jun from the start. _Then why am I trembling now?_

Even though Jun's soul was now a part of her own, it was not the same as being in resonance with him. Rin felt his aggressiveness, his eagerness to fight which she had always lacked, but she definitively did not get his level of speed added atop of her own. She felt more powerful, yet net even close to the power they have had when they were two bodies, two souls, resonating as one.

The fight bounced back and forth, going in circles basically as Jona kept his distance and Rin was waiting for an opening to finish him off with a final attack. Yet, this was not how it would go on any longer. With a look at the confused red-haired boy who was totally out of it and did not even pay attention to the fight, Jona suddenly knew of a way out of this disadvantageous state. He jumped back a lot further out of her reach then he had done previously. He intended to use the boy as a shield and make his escape, but she had noticed his glance and blocked his path.

"I'm not retarded, Jona Quinn. A coward like you would eventually seek a cheap way to escape. But I won't let you get away, especially not by using my partner as a shield. I'm your opponent, so face me!"

Red was surprised by her words. That she still considered him her partner even though the bond between them had actually been Jun, who was dead now, and nothing else. Yet, she had saved his life numerous times, and he had never felt as if it was only because it was her duty to do so. And even now, stripped of every duty she had towards him because of that rejecting glare he had given her, she still protected him. _Right. Just as this, she's never failed us, not even once. There's no reason to doubt her now. Truly, I'm making an idiot out of myself._ He clenched his fists for a moment as if to reassure himself that he was rinsed of all his doubts and fears now, then he stepped forward and held out a hand for her to grab. "I'm sorry, Rin. Come on, I think that we both have a brother to avenge."

Something inside of her screamed in panic, telling her that this was not the right thing to do. An awkward feeling nested in her stomach all of a sudden, but Rin pushed it aside with logic. She knew now that she could not win without Red's help, not soon enough before she lost total control over the anger that dwelt within her. And once she lost it, this slight amount of control she still held, she would truly turn into a monster. So she placed her hand in his after only a moment's hesitation. "Thank you, Red-kun."

"Don't mention it." His hands grabbed the two swords firmly, then he realized that he held two blades instead of only one. _Can she adapt her shape because Jun's soul is within hers now?_ Yet, this was an advantage for him since he was more skilled using two swords and he technically did not lose a weapon. But he lost a friend. His best friend, to be frank. Since his family was of high birth and he was their heir, he knew amounts of servants and false friends, but Jun never cared about his name or reputation. He had been the first to treat him as a person, as an equal individual, someone with likes, dislikes, fears and dreams. That was probably why they did get along so well and became as close as brothers. Closer as he had ever been with his real brother.

"Ah, lovely." Jona put on a grin to hide his nervousness. Rin alone had already been a bother, but the two of them together were a real problem. Since he did no longer have enough energy left for regeneration, it meant he actually had to use his wavelength's power which tended to get out of control. "So you still wanna put up a fight, eh? Don't worry, I'll have the three of you together again very soon." He wrapped himself in his pulse, a light of yellow and orange.

"Red-kun."

"I know. This won't be easy..." He concentrated and reached for the girl's wavelength. "Soul resonance," they said in unison.

It felt strange without Jun. They had worked as two men cells before, but it was either just the siblings because Red was with his family, or just the two boys, leaving Rin behind. This was something totally new for them and it made the uneasiness that had been lying underneath their three man resonance come clearly to the surface. This "unsaid" matter between them made their resonance very unstable. _Could they win like this? Or did they need to work this matter out beforehand? No, this would do._

"Rin, can we put this aside for now? We both made this promise and we'll keep it, but don't you agree this is more important now?" Red was serious but he felt insecure as he spoke. He was not quite sure if he could just blend it out himself … then he felt her heart skip a beat. "Rin?"

She calmed herself and their resonance steadied in an instant. "You're right. This can wait until later."

"You think?" Jona smirked, an ugly grimace of madness. Then he giggled just as mad. "You really think that, it's just great, just great!" He approached the Shibusen students at an unanticipated speed.

Red barely escaped the three bandages which all aimed for his vital spots. "What's with him all of a sudden?"

"Keep your distance. He's dangerous like this. We have to figure out his pattern and strength first. Otherwise, we'll end up just as dead as Jun."

Red flinched mentally at her voice which sounded so rational and absolutely unemotional. _How does she keep her cool in a situation like this?_

_ It's what you learn when you grow up on the streets. It's either kill or be killed, there are no such things as pity or mercy. If you let your emotions get a hold of you, only death awaits_, she answered only with thoughts within their resonance.

She had never said it this plain and clear before – that she grew up as a thief and murderer, suppressing her conscience and developing a cruelty like the one of a kishin egg. While at Shibusen, she never showed mere hostility or anything like that, she just seemed more distant and cold towards matters and people, making it hard for others to approach her. Yet, as Jun recognized her as his sister, he handled her like he did not notice at all. It took her a while to get used to it, but once she did, she opened up like a flower answering to the sunlight's rays. After a little while, she no longer flinched as he suddenly called her name out loud, no longer slapped his hands away when he tried to touch her, finally even suppressed the urge to attack him whenever he got a little too close. They were able to form a strong bond, just as they might have if they had grown up together. Red had always envied them for that, for this deep love they shared despite what their parents and other people thought of them. That was also the reason why he never... No, he could have never gotten in between those two. It would have been unforgivable if he was the one to destroy this bond.

Rin felt their resonance waver, instable. "Red-kun, you need to focus. I.. I don't want to lose you too." She was glad to be in her weapon form because she would have probably blushed otherwise. This was the first time she ever said something regarding her own feelings.

She achieved the exact opposite of what she wanted – Red totally froze, and Jona took his chance to draw out his last card. He let his wavelength run across the ground, and it hit them like an electroshock. Both yelped and the pain forced Red to his knees while more and more of Jona's wavelength reached them. It bit into their resonance, finding the weak spot instantly and widening the gap until they could no longer obtain the sync. When their resonance broke, Rin was forced to turn back into her human form. Like this, they sat on the ground, facing each other, eyes squeezed shut as they both bit their lower lip to not scream, and fingers of both hands entwined in a tight lock.

Rin succeeded in cracking an eye open and taking a glance at Jona's direction. They were completely defenseless, yet he had not attacked again. She assumed he could not move as long as he ran his wavelength across the ground like now. But she already felt her body taking damage on the inside, and it was probably the same for Red, which meant they had to escape this attack by any means and as fast as possible.

She struggled to her feet and somehow managed to pull Red up as well. Yet, running would probably not help them get away. There was only one route for escape: upwards, off the ground.

"Red-kun, we have to-" Rin was cut off as he could no longer hold up and fell over, his head landing on her shoulder. Blood was dripping from his ears; he obviously was more effected by the wavelength's impact than herself. She wrapped her arms around him before he slid off herself and fell back to the ground, and anger boiled up inside her soul again, giving her the strength to spread her wings and lift both of them into the sky.

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_A/N:_ As you can see, I'm not quite done with the Flashback, so you'll know how it turns out in the next chapter. Plz enjoy.

Ah, and thanks for the alerts and hits, even though I would appericiate reviews (ha, who wouldn't?) as well, as long as I see sb is interested, I'll keep trying my best. =)


	5. Chapter Four

A/N: Thank you for passing 1000 hits, even though it's not all really evened out in the stats.. Ah, well, nothing to dwell on over Christmas, is it? I wish you a Merry Christmas, a nice season, hopefully some precious time with family and friends. And we'll probably see again next year then! =)

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_**Chapter Four**_

_-Still Flashback-_

Jona's wavelength could not reach here, but Red was too heavy –if she had to carry him unconscious as he was– to stay up in the air for more than a few minutes. Furthermore, she was weakened, so she would be lucky not to touch the ground for longer than a minute. Yet, judging from Jona's exhausted expression, he was probably unable to use his wavelength once again.

Just when Rin found that straw of hope to cling to, Jona's face twisted into a self-confident, triumphant smirk. She barely had time to feel horror and to start the thought of what he might still have up his sleeve, when he already jumped. A mid-air battle would usually be to her advantage since her wings allowed her to maneuver swiftly. Yet, carrying her unconscious partner made it impossible to dodge anything right now. _So this is the finishing blow?_ Just when this thought crossed her mind, Jona used his bandages as a whip to wipe the two Shibusen students out of the sky.

When her body hit the ground, the impact made the street crumble. Rin coughed blood, then somehow managed to roll onto her stomach. She had been unable to hold onto Red when Jona's attack hit her. She had to find him. Even though her body was sore and did no longer intend to move an inch under her command, she forced it to twist her head in order to look around. Luckily, Red hat hit the ground only a few feet away from her, so she immediately started crawling towards his figure. She only had a chance to protect him if she was close enough to actually shield him from any further attacks. Right now, he was too much of an easy prey. And it was quiet. Too quiet. Where was Jona? This was his chance to kill them both and get it done with. Or had he already ran off? She hoped so. She wanted him to be gone so that she could be sure at least Red and herself made it alive. To assure herself that she only failed on avenging her brother, but did not lose both her partners to the same cursed kishin. Even though this was not about pride, she would never forgive herself if it came down to this. Rin reached out a hand. She could almost touch him now. Only a few more inches and-

Red's eyes flew open and his sudden scream filled the scene as all six of Jona's arms, made hard and pointy once more, pierced the boy's body with an impact that even lifted him off the ground for a brief moment. Blood splattered, and Rin's outcry got stuck in her throat.

Jona pulled away, causing even more blood to spill on the ground and the weapon girl, and made his escape. He had intended to finish her off as well, but in this last moment, he had felt something incredible evil emerging from her soul. Evil enough to scare him off and flee, before this demon could catch him.

Rin's body went completely numb. She was in such a state of shock that all her exhaustion and wounds were forgotten. She sat up and pulled herself the last few inches over to Red, then placing his head into her lap. While her mind was almost blank, there was an outburst of rage within her soul. Yet, this did not reach the surface, it was held captive in her subconscience – at least for now.

Rin did not understand how, but Red was still breathing. Only barely, but still breathing. She brushed some strands out of his eyes. She could barely see any skin beneath all the spilled blood, but it neither disgusted nor scared her. Her heart had already surrendered, surrendered to the one thing inevitable in life: death. Yet, she had never felt her heart become this heavy, she had never before experienced this level of despair. After all the lives she had taken and all the people she had watched die, she had thought that there was nothing which could get close to her heart anymore. However though she had been wrong, there were no tears. She felt them, burning inside of her, but she simply could not shed them.

"Rin." It was only a whisper. She barely heard him. Red also tried to move, to somehow touch her in those last moments of his.

She took one of his hands and gently entwined her fingers with his. "It's okay, I'm here. I won't leave you."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry? What for? I should be the one apologizing. I couldn't protect you even though you are my meister... I've been nothing but a burden for you. I-"

"Don't... don't say such things. I wouldn't want to be with anyone but you right now. And I'm sorry for leaving you all alone again. You deserve so much better than this..." Red chuckled and closed his eyes for a brief moment. "I'm pretty pathetic, eh? Now that Jun forced me to finally confess to you, I can't stay by your side anymore... It was just.. I was so scared that if I'd get in between you two, it would spoil everything we had."

"Me, too." Rin felt as if there was a tight grip around her heart, it's beat hurt in her chest. "I was scared too. I was afraid that if I told you I loved you and you accepted my feelings, there would come the day when I had to choose between you and Jun, and I wouldn't know which one to pick, since I loved both of you to the point that I'd die for you... I feel so stupid, now that I lost both of you but am still left alive. But maybe this is my own, private hell."

"Even if it is, you'll live, won't you? Just like it has always been. Right?"

"Yeah. Now that there's nothing left for me, I won't even fear hell. I will live, and maybe I'll be able to save someone else one day, even though I couldn't save you."

"That's good to hear. I'd probably just give up and accept the fact that I'm a complete failure. But you're incredibly strong, unlike me. That's probably why I fell in love with you before I even knew you, or learned you were Jun's younger sister."

"Then why didn't you tell me back then? Did I scare you off?"

"No. I guess I just didn't notice it then. But thinking back now, everything's pretty clear. And it appears quite regrettable, doesn't it?"

"Guess we'll never know. That's just how life goes, I think. Na, it's more like what I've learned it goes."

There was silence for a second, then Red spoke again, "Say, Rin, do you remember what I told you last year, after my grandmother passed away?" His voice started to fade more and more.

"I do."

"Then, will you kiss me goodbye?"

His eyes closed as she bend down and pressed her lips to his. It only lasted for a second, then his heart stopped beating and his body dissolved beneath her. Again, the kiss obtained his soul, and Rin's hand clenched over her heart in pain.

At the moment the pain ceased and she came to realize that she was left alone once again, her mind snapped.

_-End of Flashback-_

"No way," Maka whispered stunned. She had seen Red Ravens soul once, and it had left her eyes wide, stopping mid-step in the hallway. She remembered Soul growling when he bumped into her. "There's just no way...," she whispered again.

However, no one reacted to her words. Both Jona and Soul were focused on the weapon girl.

Rin stood, just like before, between Jona and the two Shibusen students, her right hand clenched over the deep wound on her left arm. Blood flowed and soaked her white sweater, slowly turning it a feverish, alarming crimson. Yet, something was different from before the end of the 'story'. Her wavelength, previously an enraged burst with seemingly no pattern whatsoever, had completely calmed down. It was steady, as was her heartbeat. She knew this feeling well. It was anger, in some form, like a cold flame, that even scared the monster inside of her, since the cause was beyond its comprehension. It was a feeling that made her feel invincible without relying on that monster's power.

Soul, tagging Maka along, got to his feet when Rin turned around, leaving her back wide open for Jona to attack. Yet, he could not. Because he could see it, that cold flame that hushed the beast within her. It was the same as the last time he tried to kill her, and it still scared him just as much. All he could do, was stare at this flame and shiver.

Some strands that had escaped her braids during the fight were covering Rin's eyes, hiding her expression. A second past. Two. Three. Then she moved her head up just a little to stare right into Souls ruby orbs, and there was no need for words. He was a weapon, too, after all, and he had already protected Maka with his own body, which had left this huge scar across his torso. He understood her train of thought, and he could probably catch her feelings to some extend. So there was absolutely no way he could refuse her. This being the case, the only thing left for him to do was nod an approval and wait for her next move.

Rin reached out her hand, yet her fingers were not stretched, so she did not quite touch Soul's chest. She closed her eyes and focused for a moment, then she slightly poked him, right where his heart was, and suddenly became discarnate, literally falling into him. A second later, she was gone, but Soul could still feel her – within himself. Rin had somehow become a part of him, and he was startled by the power he felt now. "Wow," he said breathed.

"Wha... what's going on here, Soul? Where is Rin?" Maka's voice was somewhat panicky.

"Calm down, Maka. She's right here," he tapped his chest, then directed his words to Rin, "I don't know what this power of yours does exactly, but I feel.. invincible."

He felt her chuckle. _"I knew you'd say that, Soul-san. Believe me, this is only the beginning... But you should transform now, so we can finally bring this to an end."_ Her voice echoed inside of him, just as if they were in resonance.

"Alright, let's roll." Soul felt excitement, it came along with the power boost. "Ready, Maka?" He did not wait for an answer from his meister and swiftly transformed.

Maka cried out in surprise as she caught the weapon in mid-air. Instead of the regular shape Soul took on, the scythe now had a second blade attached at the far end of the hilt, pointing the opposite direction. Yet, it did not feel this much different. The weight was the same, even though the balance was a little shifted. Even more, she felt that this was still Soul. Only a little more... powerful than usual.

"What is this?", Jona cried out before Maka had the chance to ask, his voice a pitch higher than it used to be.

To their surprise, the upper bodies of both weapons rose from the two blades, Soul in the front and Rin in the rear. The girl smirked, "I'm really sorry I didn't had the chance to show you at our first encounter, Jona Quinn. This.. is the power of a copy, and it will be the last thing you get to see in this world."

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A/N: Well roared, lion! We'll see if Rin's threat is more than empty words or if anything unexpected happens again.


End file.
